It is hard to believe, but a month and a half have passed since we logged in to make an update! We have of course been very busy getting initiated into the ministry and getting settled down in Korea.
Prayer Center Growth
The prayer retreat center is doing well. Of course, Covid-19 had been a major blow to the prayer retreat center. The number of people coming to pray dropped significantly. However, since the beginning of 2022, we have seen a steady increase in the number of people returning to pray. The amazing thing about this ministry is that even though in any given service the numbers may not be large, every day we see new people come in and receive hope and refreshment. We see many people with deep needs coming to pray. We have many pastors coming to recharge. There are even some missionaries who have come back from various places, such as the Philippines and Australia, coming to rest and seek guidance from God for their next steps. Of course, last year we also set up a livestream, and that has grown as well, with over 1,800 subscribers at this point!
Services are conducted 3-4 times a day, every day. For us, it has been a whirlwind of preaching almost every day on some weeks. It is especially busy for Gloria, who preaches her own sermons and then translates for Abraham’s sermons! We have long prayed to be able to serve God together, and we are beginning to find our stride as we support each other, working as a team, while learning the areas where each one of us can excel!
One week, we were able to give Gloria’s parents (the founders of the ministry) a much-needed time away. Other weeks, we have guest speakers come from other churches or ministries, so the rotation gets a bit lighter. Then, however, we focus on other logistical matters at the prayer center.
Late in September, Gloria and Abraham were officially appointed as co-associate directors of the ministry. This is a great honor and we look forward to continuing to learn the ministry and serve in these roles while we also dream and prepare for future plans to reach the next generations!
Prayers Being Answered
Recently, we have been seeing long-standing prayers for the center begin to be answered in new ways! For years, Gloria’s father has prayed in faith for a new road to be opened up to the prayer center. The current entrance passes through narrow residential streets in the neighborhood just below the ministry’s facilities. Although we have good relationships with most of the neighbors, there are always some who complain about the traffic. He has prayed for a new road to be opened up that goes around the neighborhood, on the hillside.
Remarkably, in the last month the city of Jinju has begun a major parks project on the mountain surrounding the prayer center. They have cleared all of the smaller, uglier trees (leaving the big, beautiful trees); they will plant new trees; and they are developing a road that goes through the park and branches right into the prayer center’s property! It is at this point still a small road, but continue to pray with us in faith that it will develop into a road big enough even for church buses to come in!
Continued Prayer Needs
Please pray for more high-quality, reliable volunteers and staff for the prayer center! Pray that as people seek God in this place, He will hear their prayers and answer.
Pray especially for revival in the younger generations! We are currently in the phase of learning how to run the center as it is now; but we are asking God to reveal to us the next steps to broaden its impact in the younger generations. Pray for guidance for us in this process! Pray for a core group of committed young people to come and belong to the ministry, believe in our vision, and become the leaders for their generation!